The Need For Speed PS1/PSX

The Need For Speed

The original Need for Speed was a revolution in the driving game genre. It brought new elements to the table that were cutting edge at the time. From the FMV sequences that had the real cars performing a number of skids, obstacle courses through orange racing cones and cornering some epic winding roads to “realistic” sounding gear changes and revving engines. All was good under the hood of this driving game.

The aim of The Need For Speed when it was released in 1994, was to create a realistic driving experience for the PS1/PSX. In its time it was a beacon of light showing the way for the console racing genre. So how does it hold up decades later?

Review

When first playing Need For Speed it can feel clunky and a bit rough around the edges. However, after a few races this seems to fade away somewhat as players become accustomed to the physics of the game while playing. The cars have a heavy feel to them for the most part and can be difficult to turn at high speeds, which is accurate due to understeer. The brakes are somewhat used in the slowing down process and the handbrake comes in handy on some tight turns occasionally. However, it appears the greatest mechanical advantage during racing is the compression lock, that is, using gears to slow down. This is one of the most effective means of reducing speed when coming in too hot.

There is an issue at very high speeds and turning which can mess with the physics and lift the cars resulting in rather spectacular crashes. It becomes an annoying issue when racing particular tracks such as Lost Vegas (turn 3 and the final turn onto the straight). The collision detection isn’t fantastic, but it works well enough within the game, its just best not to make contact with anything buy staying well clear of opponents and side barriers. That being said there is a bit of a magnetic feel to objects as you near them, from opponents, traffic cars and even the side barriers, sometimes it just feels like the suck you in towards them.

The A.I is considerably aggressive and will block your racing line as you approach to overtake. The trick is to lure them to one side of the road and then swerve at the last minute to get around the opponent, not always easy to do at times when traffic is high. The A.I for the traffic seems set on making life difficult as they float in and out of lanes sometimes at the last moment making it impossible to avoid contact. The police A.I seems only interested in chasing you down and does not concern itself with taking down your opponent. If the police get a certain distance ahead of your vehicle you get pulled over and receive a fine, two (2) of these fines results in a race over screen.

Each of the cars have differences in their performance specs which can be reviewed on the car select screens. While these traits may be difficult to detect on initial driving, extended play helps define the variation between the vehicles themselves and how they need to be driven differently due to their strengths and weaknesses. For instance the Lamborghini Diablo VT is a four wheel drive vehicle (4WD) and tends to feel as though it understeers through cornering more than other vehicles or The Honda/Acura NSX, which is a lazy vehicle on acceleration, the 911 Porsche is tail happy on cornering. These nuances become more apparent with extended game play and exploration of the vehicles.

The sound does a considerable job of representing the RPM of the vehicle while driving. There are some sounds and pitch changes in the RPM of the various vehicles make creating some distinguishable differences between the cars. The gear shifts do sound somewhat foreign as it seems that they were recorded independently and just seem a little “too clean” in audio when compiled with the other sound effects of the game. The sound effect of the tyres screeching is quite good and doesn’t get annoying. The commentary in tournament mode is a great addition and makes it feel like its all part of a game show. The music tracks work for the purpose intended, however, this is something that gets turned off for many racing purists.

Graphically The Need For Speed holds up reasonably, yes the models may be a little dated, but they do a great job representing the vehicles, there is no damage on the vehicles. The dash view is great, each vehicles has its own realistic dash and features turning steering wheel plus working speed dials. Cars tyres leave marks on the tarmac when skidding about, peeling away from the start line and doing burnouts. There are limited amounts of marks which a vehicle can make, but this is only observable if players decided to do burnouts and skids for extended periods of time in one location. The circuits have quite scenic views if anyone manages to catch a glimpse while trying to take the lead in a race. Coastal beaches, roadside snow, cows at the wayside, hot air balloons and even planets can be seen if players dare take their eyes off the road. The time of day is also selectable (morning, midday, and evening) on most tracks which can give a nice change to the way the scenery appears. At the end of each race there is a FMV sequence which displays the real life cars being driven, there are also FMV sequences for each vehicle which can be seen within the details of the vehicles at the vehicle choice menu.

The game can be completed in about 2-3hrs by finishing the Tournament mode two times. This will give access to all the tracks, cars and additional modes. Holding L1 and R1 gives access to these extras at various areas of the game such as track selection for “rally” versions of the track or at the car select giving access to the “Warrior” car.

In Rally Mode the vehicles tend to jump a lot more than usual making peaks in the road that were not an issue in the tarmac road version of the track something to be cautious of. These lift offs seem to be right when the positioning of the car needs to be perfect to slide into the corner. this means some extra judgment is needed when calculating the was a corner is entered. the loose surface can take some getting used to and having the car on a big angle washes off a considerable amount of speed. this is a factor which needs to be taken into account as going sideways "feels" fast but can put you in the chase position faster than a blink of the eye if the drifting is abused. while it can seem as though it is annoying it actually creates additional challenge in mastery of the rally tracks extending the life of the game further.

The Game Details

The car line up consists of 9 cars in total. These include Mazda RX7, Toyota Supra, Honda/Acura NSX, Porsche 911 turbo, Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, Dodge Viper RT10, Ferrari 512TR, Lamborghini Diablo VT and the Warrior PTO E2 special vehicle which is unlocked after finishing the game, for access of the Warrior car at the car select screen hold the L1 and R1 buttons.

Races span various locations across two race types those being:

Point to Point races: City, Coastal, Alpine

Circuit races: Rusty Springs Raceway, Autumn Valley Speedway, Vertigo Ridge.

There is an additional unlockable circuit track after completing the tournament mode named Lost Vegas. There are also rally variations of each of the tracks which can be accessed after completing the tournament mode two (2) times, these are accessible by holding the L1 and R1 buttons on the track selection screen. Additionally if the triangle button is pressed while holding the L1 and R1 buttons while on Rusty Springs Raceway a super-secret track is available apply named Lunar Springs, where you race on the moon with the earth in the background!!! This brings the total to fifteen (15) tracks.

The various modes available for driving in The Need For Speed are Time Trial, Head to Head, Single Race and Tournament.

Time Trial
Is just you and the roads with no opponents to race against, this mode is great for getting some practice runs in, attempting record times, and learning the tracks for future competitions.

Head to Head
Pits you up against one other opponent in a one on one battle royal to the death… well the finish line at least. Head to head also adds traffic on point to point races and this is also where you find the pièce de résistance of the need for speed series the police chases. Either cruising the roads or on roadside speed traps, police can engage in trying to chase you down and stop you by getting in front of your car and slowing you down enough to “pull you over and issues a speeding ticket”

Single Race
Allows the mixing and matching of cars and tracks from the tournament mode. Here you can select any car and track combination of your choosing and select a specific vehicle type to challenge or select “The pack” and have a mix of all vehicle types challenging for the checkered flag.

Tournament
is where the meat of the game is played, in this mode the circuits have specific sets of two (2) to three (3) cars to choose from. Each cars set had a closed circuit and point to point race to compete in to complete the tournament mode.

Conclusion

The Need For Speed is a classic game that led the way for the racing genre on consoles and PC, focusing on simulation gameplay style. The title did a tremendous job of being a pioneer in its time and paving the way for modern franchise as we know it today. While this title may be the humble beginnings The Need For Speed holds up quite well when compared to the contemporary gaming scene. It offers a robust game that still provides some challenge and enjoyment. The Need For Speed proves you don’t need all the fancy modern gimmicks of skid counters and roadside nos bottles to run over to create a good racing game.
The Need For Speed is a game I would most certainly recommend to anyone wanting to have the retro experience of the grass roots of racing games or gamers after a more “authentic” old school racing game. There is definitely quite a few more miles (or kilometres) left in this game for those willing to jump in the driver’s seat and take this game for a spin.

Races

Here are the races in full minus some of the selections screens, completion videos, etc. this is so as to give a complete view of Need For Speed on the gaming front but still provide some mystery for those wanting to play through themselves. Each race is represented here including special circuits and rally modes. These races were all completed by me and recorded/edited for the purpose of this review.

Circuit Races

Rusty Springs Raceway

Autumn Valley Speedway

Vertigo Ridge.

Point to Point Races

City

Coastal

Alpine

Head to Head Races (with traffic)

City

Coastal

Alpine

Rally Point to Point Races

City

Coastal

Alpine

Rally Circuit Races

Oasis Springs Raceway

Lunar Springs Raceway (special secret track)

Autumn Valley Speedway

Vertigo Ridge.